1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a shock absorber, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a shock absorber for a sports floor.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
It is generally known to provide cushioning pads under a sports flooring system in order to provide resiliency to the floor. In such known systems, the amount of cushioning provided by the pads is generally controlled by the durometer, i.e., the hardness of the pads. There are both advantages and disadvantages to using either hard or soft pads.
Specifically, in sports such as basketball and racquetball, it is important that the floor be relatively stiff, so that the ball bounces back easily and uniformly throughout the floor. High durometer (hard) resilient pads produce a floor having preferred ball response characteristics. However, hard pads provide little shock absorption, and have a greater potential to cause injury to the athlete. This problem is especially severe when heavy loading occurs from a number of athletes performing in close proximity to each other.
Low durometer (soft) resilient pads provide greater shock absorption and hence provide a higher level of safety or protection to the athlete. However, floors employing such soft pads do not produce desirable ball response characteristics under normal loading conditions, and thus are not suitable for sports such as basketball and racquetball. Furthermore, soft pads are prone to “compression set” which is a permanent change in profile after the pad has been subjected to high loads for a long period of time. Such compression set can occur in areas where bleachers, basketball standards, or other gymnasium equipment are likely to be placed for periods of time.